Cavernous Awakenings
by lw531
Summary: Starting where season 1 left off, how does the gang deal with all that has changed. How will Rosa be re-integrated into society? How will they wake up Max? Chapter by chapter, this story will explore how everyone in the know reacts to Max's choice to resurrect Rosa.
1. Chapter 1

Rosa looks over Liz crying over Max's body, "Liz," she whispers, "c'mon."

Liz takes in a deep breath, turns to find Rosa, alive and standing a few feet away from her. She wipes her nose on her sleeve and pulls out of her phone. She texts Isobel and Michael, "Max needs you. In the cave. Hurry," before speaking to her sister.

"I'm not-we're not leaving him until they get here-"

"They?" Rosa asks, "Isobel is the one-

"She was possessed by another," Liz says, "there were four of them…"

"Four," Rosa begins to ask, "four aliens?"

Liz nods turning back to Max, smoothing his hair from his face, searching his chest, then his neck for the faintest of beats. She continues to do CPR, not knowing how long Max can go without anything pulsing in him before he could be declared-she stopped herself from thinking it. She continued with no thought, despite Rosa's warnings, because she had to believe, she had to believe he'd coming back to her.

Isabel gasps at the sight of Rosa. Their eyes meet, searching each other for explanations that Michael's entrance interrupts. His entry turns Isabel to Max's body, under a crying Liz, on the ground. .

"Max?!" Isobel cries out. She bends over Max and gets her out of the way.

"I came here as soon as the echo-as soon as I stopped feeling him," Liz says standing up, watching Isabel examine him.

"We told him not to do it," Michael breathes out as he watches Isabel search for a pulse.

"Is there anything you can do?" Liz asks, "Anything?"

"Let me try," Isabel said putting her hand over his heart, "see if I can restart even a little…"

"You may need a little help," Michael says kneeling on Max's other side.

Rosa collects Liz and asks, "Que esta pasando?"

Liz breaks out of Rosa's arms, wipes her face and explains, "they're trying to save Max…"

"What happened to," Rosa begins to ask and then changes gears, "how did I get here?"

Liz takes in a deep breath, darting her eyes between Isabel and Michael's glowing hands and teenage Rosa standing next to her. "Noah stored you in his pod after…"Liz stops as she hears them screaming in pain.

Michael lifts his hand, as he breaks a sweat and, when he sees blood begin to leak from Isabel's nose, he pulls her away from him. "Stop, Is, stop," he shouts, "he's gone."

"No, Michael," she says trying to break from his grip, "no!"

"I can't lose you, too…"

Liz turns to her sister's arms again, buries herself there, letting the tears fall. Despite her sobs, she could hear Isabel's, feeling inherently conflicted in regaining her sister after losing the man she had finally allowed herself to love.

"Let's take him to the pod, Isabel," Michael says, "until we can figure something out-

"Until we get strong enough," Isabel says, "because this can't be the end…"

Liz considers saying something, but then the months of her rage against them about Rosa comes to head and she realizes there's nothing she can say. Michael meets her eyes in a way that says, _I know it's not your fault, _as they drag Max out of the cave.

Rosa and Liz watch them leave, Liz finally realizing her sister can't go home nor can she stay there. "There's a lot we gotta talk about, Rosa," Liz says as they exit the cave, "and you can't go home just yet…"

"Why?" Rosa asks, "I'm hungry and I'm-

"Because you've been dead for ten years, Rosa," Liz says as she unlocks her car door for her sister.


	2. Sibling Reunion - Not Another Loss

Liz calls Kyle as soon as they get in the car. "Why are you calling him?"

"Because I live with dad and an attack at work lost my job-

"Work-job-

"Kyle?"

"Yeah, Liz," Liz hears, "what's up?"

"Where are you now?"

"Leaving my mom's, why?"

"You live alone right?"

"Yeah," he says taking a beat, "what's going on?"

"Max is dead. Rosa's alive and I need a place she can stay…"

"What?!"

"I'll tell you at your place," she blurts out as she gets on the freeway, "right now I gotta figure out where Rosa can stay till we…"

"See you soon," Kyle says and takes a deep breath. Standing in front of his car door, he takes a beat before he gets in his car and drives home. The night before he was sewing up Liz and now Max is dead but Rosa's...alive.

He arrives home to find Rosa sitting in Liz's car, wrapped in a blanket, and Liz standing against it, looking from side to side, "Hey," she says.

"How?"

"Let us in and I'll explain."

As he fumbles with the gate key, Rosa steps out of the car. She follows him and Liz up the stairs to his condo. "This wasn't here when I-

"It's been ten years," Liz says as they continue up the stairs.

"Come in," Kyle offers as they reach the landing in front of his door. He takes in the site of his ex-girlfriend and their sister entering his apartment. He's grateful he found the time to clean before the trip to the alien torture prison.

Liz takes in the makings of Kyle's bachelor bad. Not the bro energy she expected, with full living and dining sets. As she attempts to set her jacket on a dining chair, he offers, "Let me hang it up."

She watches him turn to Rosa and say, "I'll bring out some sweats for you…"

"Thanks," the sisters say in unison.

Liz is too nervous to sit, and can't stop herself from staring at her sister. She watches as Rosa wraps the blanket around her tighter and as she sets her eyes to scan her surroundings. Liz crosses her arms as she catches Kyle come back into the dining room and say, "I also set towels in the bathroom, first door to your left, "if you want to take a shower…"

"Yeah," Rosa says taking the clothes from the guy she recently-in her timeline-learned was her brother, "thanks. I'll be quick."

Kyle nods and sets his hand on the back of a dining chair. He takes in a deep breath. Catches Liz's eye. They're not going to start talking till they hear the water running, he thinks to himself. Between sewing her up the night before and the nineteen year old Rosa in his house, there was a lot to discuss.

"After Noah used Isabel to kill Katie, Rosa and the other girl, he had enough strength to leave his pod, apparently-

"What does this have to do with Rosa?"

"He put her in his pod," Liz explains, "somehow he got her body and stored it in the pod…"

"But how did she-"

"Max brought her back," Liz blurts out the tears not helping themselves to containment, "he used all his power to bring her back and-

Kyle walks towards her and gives her a hug, "I'm sorry-

"Isabel and Michael are putting him in his pod," Liz interjects breaking from Kyle's comforting embrace.

"Michael lost his mom yesterday," Kyle says, "and I put Sergeant Manes into a coma after he tried to kill me."

"Kyle!"

"He figured he needed to silence me after I saw how they kept aliens in Caufield prison, tortured for decades," Kyle explains, "and Alex said they were making weapons against aliens using their own DNA…"

Liz shakes her head, "Kyle, I'm so-

He interrupts her and says, "It's been a crazy few days, huh?"

"Yeah," Liz says, "I haven't even checked on my dad-

"What are we gonna tell 'im?" Rosa asks as she walks out.

They both look at her, tiny in Kyle's faded Michigan gear.

"I dunno,' Liz says, "Matt Long's been targeting us since…"

"Pendejo," Rosa blurts, "his sister was the one who wouldn't leave me the fuck alone-

"I know," Liz says, "but we gotta come up with a quick story…"

"Why not the truth?"

Liz sighs, "What do you think the truth is?"

"Isabel tried to kill me and my friends-

"No," Kyle interrupts, "she didn't." He pulls out a seat for her and asks, "you hungry?"

She nods but remains standing, "What do you mean she didn't, she put her hand-

"Have a seat, Rosa," Liz explains taking a seat herself, "there's a lot to catch you up on-

"Did you never leave Roswell, Liz?!"

"Yes" she answers, "right after we buried you. I stayed after I realized an alien killed you, and I spent months trying to figure out who did it. Once I had an idea, I created a serum to mute their powers."

"Serum, what are you a doctor now?!" Rosa asks smiling.

Liz can't tell if it's a smile of pride or contempt but then answers, "No, I do medical research-Kyle's the doctor."

"Are two together-

"No," Liz answers, "we broke up after I left."

"Why'd you bring me here then?" Rosa asks leaning back in her chair, "if you're not-

"Because he's your brother," Liz answers, "I found that out too once I found your backpack, then Kyle found the place his dad was helping you get clean and…

"So you know?" Rosa asks looking down at her sweatshirt.

"I haven't told Pa' yet," Liz explains, "I wouldn't know where to begin and we've been trying to keep Noah from killing more people."

"Who's Noah?" Rosa asks.

"The alien that possessed Isabel all the time you thought you spent with her...the one who really killed you and those other girls-

"Among others," Kyle adds as he comes back into the front room. "Hopefully this works, Rosa," he says putting a kale salad in front of her. "I went healthy given…

"Sure," she says, "I just got back from the dead so I guess I should eat greens and stuff."

Kyle looks at Liz who shrugs at him and then at Rosa who keeps her eyes on her kale and chicken.

"How's your wound?" Kyle asks Liz.

"Fine," Liz answers.

"Wound?"

"Noah tried to kill me last night," Liz explains to Rosa, "he gets power from killing people. Saving people," Liz explains, "drains them. And Kyle," she begins turning to him, "Maria's mom has to know something."

"Maria's mom?" Kyle and Rosa ask in unison.

"Yeah" Liz says freaking out at their minor sibling moment, "Maria's pendant has a flower whose pollen paralyzes them, knocks them unconscious…"

"Liz!" Rosa blurts out, "they're dangerous!"

"Max saved my life twice and brought you back from the dead, Rosa," Liz says defending them, "it's not that simple."

"We tortured a bunch of them since they crashed here," Kyle adds, "assuming the worst of all them. Noah seems to be the only asshole…"

"Max took care of that," Liz breathes. She takes a minute as thinking about Max brings the feeling of his lifeless body under her and as much as she's invested in figuring out what to do with Rosa, her heart still hurts from the ache of losing Max. Given the echo, she felt a part of herself go with him.

"You can stay here," Kyle says, "until we figure out what to do…"

"Thanks," Rosa says taking in the last bit of her salad, "we'll probably need a way to get me out of her for good, then."

"I'm sorry?" Liz asks, "What are you talking about?"

"You know I'm right, Liz," Rosa says, "I'm the one thing that can't be explained. The one lie too big to tell-

"Let's not make any major decisions yet," Kyle says, "we have a lot to learn from each other before any of that happens," he reaches his hand out over to her, "you can stay here as long as you want-

"Don't fight this, Rosa," Liz says, "I can't lose anyone else today…"

"What-

"Max was in love with her," Kyle explains, "and we want to enjoy you, even if for a little bit."

"So," Rosa admits to herself, "I'm a prisoner…"


	3. What Rosa Missed

"I wanna know what I missed," Rosa tells Liz as Kyle steps away to take a business call.

"What?" Liz asks as she puts on her coat.

"You can't leave me here without telling me what I missed," Rosa says, "especially if you did leave Roswell…"

"I took that road trip," Liz says setting her coat down, "and I went to school out of state. I went to three schools in three states, actually," she said smilng, "I couldn't stay in one place too longl-

"Did you come back a lot?" Rosa asks leaning in, waiting for Liz to sit down.

Liz shakes her head no, "De vez en cuando," she answers, "to check on dad."

"She barely talked to me," Kyle interrupts as he walks back in to the dining room, "She let me be her facebook friend by sophomore year-

"Yeah" Liz said, "I needed to make sure you were dating-

Kyle rolls his eyes, "it's not like that for guys like me."

Liz nods, "I knew I wanted to help people and got buried in work. I never heard from Mom, didn't know how to find her, so I just came in for the holidays," adding, "this was the first time I came back around the anniversary of-

"So you've been around since the summer, then," Rosa asks, "trying to figure out how I died?

Kyle nods, "it was a pretty intense rabbit hole."

"After Max saved my life," Liz said, taking a deep breath but wanting to commit to the story, "I asked him to see memories of you, then I asked Kyle to find your medical records…"

"So that's how you got caught up in the alien stuff?"

Kyle and Liz both nod.

"So," Rosa asks, "I wonder who's buried where I'm supposed to be…"

"We never checked," Kyle thinks out loud, "we only just learned you weren't there."

"Yeah," Liz agrees sitting down, "between making sure Dad was safe, curing Isabel, we never thought to dig it up-and we wouldn't have."

Rosa shrugs, looks at her sister and the guy she must now admit is her brother and says, "I have more questions. Like who else knows?"

"Alex," Kyle answers, "and this cop this was helping us, Max's partner.

"-Former partner," Liz interjects, "Maria and Dad have no idea. Graham Green had been the guy who called 911 on your bodies floating, but Long, possessed by Noah, killed him to keep him from saying more…"

"Shit," Rosa exclaims, "like what the hell?!"

"Yeah," Liz says.

"Like why'd they come here?" Rosa asks shaking her head, "like so many of them ruined so many lives…"

"Because of a civil war?" Kyle thinks out loud.

"They were escaping persecution," Liz says, "from what Noah told Max, but no one's sure."

"I guess some people are allowed to change," Rosa says, "you just gotta be able to kill-

"Or save people," Liz interjects.

"I just need to talk a lot of this through," Rosa says leaning forward at the table, "I can't go out because everyone thinks I'm dead, and that I killed those girls," Rosa takes a breath and says, "because I'm still nineteen…"

Rosa gets up and runs her fingers through her hair, "This is fucked up," she says, "why'd Max-

"Because he knew how much I missed you," Liz says leaning back, "I was at your tombstone talking about how much I wanted to tell you about him. I was telling you how much I missed you…"

"So," Rosa says, "was he there with you?"

Liz shakes her head no. Looking to her side she says, "When aliens lay their hands on you, for a period after, you feel echoes of what the other is feeling or thinking," she looks at Rosa standing on the other side of her and says, "and he knew that learning the truth gave me another sort of grief."

The tears couldn't resist falling from Liz's eyes. "I'll call my dad," Liz says, "tell him I'm on assignment."

She gets up and walks back to the kitchen, Kyle's eyes following her. He figures she's staying because Rosa needs an additional babysitter, one that knows her ticks. He and his high school sweetheart share a sister. It's not the most major part of the past summer and fall, but it's enough to have him scratching his head and leaving him speechless. They've fed Rosa all the information about how they got to bringing her back from the dead and all the alien stuff she may not have known.


End file.
